Type-writing machine.



J. E. SIMPSON, TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 1UNE5. .917.

1,258,484. Patented Mar. 5, 1916 ATTORNEY ltd ltti

JAMES E. SIMPSUN, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

mun-1mm specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Application filed June 5, 191?. flerial No. 172,926.

To all 'w/wm 2'15 may concern:

Be it known that l[, JAMES E. SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type- Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to typewriting machines and refers particularly to means for re-inking or moistening the ink ribbons employed therewith, so that the impressions produced on a Work sheet in a machine may be uniform and of full body.

Operators of typewriting machines realize that the life of an inking ribbon is quite short, involving the necessity of frequent renewals, and they further realize that after a short usage, impressions received from the ribbon fail to present clearly printed characters, the work gradually becoming less distinct under continued usage of the ribbon, until finally the impressions are quite indistinct if the ribbon be left on the machine for too long a period.

Therefore I have devised means whereby, under the ordinary operation of the machine, the ribbon employed therewith may be subjected to a process of continual reivification, whereby each character, word, and line of matter will be identical, in respect to the depth of color and clarity of impression imposed upon the work sheet.

The means employed by me in accomplishing the above stated object are simple in the entreme and both positive and continuous in operation. This means comprises the employment of an ink feed device which may be in the form of an inlt saturated "wheel or disk, arranged to bear against one tairface of the ribbon, and rotatio with the .ibbon spool um frictional or act bet ecu the inking dot. co and. the rib. m. upon.

tomatically discontinued by being freed from contact with the ribbon each time the type bar returns to its bed after its type has created an impression, and by means whereby the operation of a finger key automatically brings the inking device into contact with the ribbon.

Other features and advantages of my said invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings 1 igure 1 is a perspective elevation showing a portion of a typewriting machine including an example of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view illustrating a portion of the mechanism for said inking device,

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of a machine frame with the re-inking device operable with respect to both ribbon spools, and Fig. et is a detail of a bichrome inkingpad.

111' the example of my invention illustrated in this application, I have shown aninking-pad 1, in the form of a disk or wheel, as carried. in a frame 2, which is mounted as by a pivot 2 upon a portion 3 .of a typewriting machine frame, and in proximity to a ribbon spool i carrying ribbon The inking-pad 1 is mounted in the frame 2 as by a pivot 6, whose axis is parallel to the axis of the ribbon spool. The rela tion between the pad 1 and spool 4: is such that the periphery of the pad may come in contact with the ribbon upon the spool, said contact being effected as under the tension of a spring 7 extending between the frame 2 and machine frame portion 3, whereby the inking-pad is swung into the aforesaid inking relation with the ribbon, in order that, as the spool lrotates, a under the influence of its feed mechanism i the ribbon thereon 1 ay surface of the inking-13ml, to receive a supply of ink theietrom.

will be noted that the inlt from the pad iosited upon that Sill ace of the ribreceives impact on types, .m'cabi ity of the l create move against the rotating peripheral ribbon being relied til tlti

the condition oi a thus treshly inked ribbon, would be too heavy and srnud gy. Practice has proven that inking the ribbon on its outer surface has little tendency to clog the types, due to the :treshly nioist condition oil the ink as supplied by my method to the ribbon during the actual operation of the machine.

lltii not necessary that the ribbon e1nployed "With nay aforesaid inking device be What is known today as an ink ribbon, becauee the ink tor the ribbon may be supplied entirely from the source or fountain represented by the inking-pad referred to.

Therefore a plain or tin-inked ribbon may be borne by the usual spools in a typewriting machine and complete supply oi ink imparted in the manner described. Thus my invention coinprisce a new rnethod cit supplying ink for the production of character impressions in a typertritinp; machine.

it have also tound in practice that it is inadvisable to leave the inking-pad in con tact With the ribbon surlace While the machine is at rest, because such continued contact Would have the ehtect out depoaiting too heavy a charge ct ink upon the ribbon that point, and would reeul'h when that hearrly charged portion. or the ribbon reached the nrintine" point. out inakino" heap i La i. 1 W Lyn ier type nnpreeeiona ironi tne ribbon. here tore it have nrorided naeana to norinall' i :t ";h the ribbon thio at herein eo.

bar "Will be depreased and will ene'rciee a pull upon the rod l2, @aid rod 12 at its upper end, engages in a guide slot 16 in the bracket 2, and has an inclined face ll; which normally lies above the bracket 10 but which, in the increment or depression of the universal bar 13 and the downward pull of rod 12, is caused to bear against the inner edge of bracket lOand thus to swing eaid bracket outwardly; in thin act overcoming the tension of spring ti and Withdrawing the don; 8 from its separating position be tween the inking-pad and ribbon 'lhue every down stroke ot a key lever is caused to reestablish the operatire contacting relation between the inkin -pad and ribbon, no that a supply ct ink. 1 iurnished to the ribbon. intermittently, .ihe in terinittency oi the ink supply synchronizes With the in terinittency of the ribbon teeth because the ribbon. teed progresses step by step under the operation of the linger keye, and the inking-pad in put into operation with the ribbon under the same oircuinstancee,

The nnirereal bar 13, and the rod "it l may be returned atter each ot the operative strokes, as by means at spring; lh k rob ably in. enceeaiye epeed operation of the ma chine the interpouent mechanism "will not have tiine between ie key etrokee to tune separating inking-pad and rib th ed the coni nay be merely a each.

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inte ta e ency to give the best results. in some in stances, a moist pad without coloring matter may be used instead of an inking-pad, to revivity an ink ribbon.

ll hen desired to provide for the inking and inoistening oil a lei-chrome ribbon it may substitute a double pad for the pad 1. The term oft s eh double pad is shown in 4t, wherein two like pads, as id, 19, are an ranged side by side, one bearing ink oi one color and the other bearing ink of another color, reg'stcr, in use, the dillerent colors in pectively oil a bi chrome ribbon. These pads 18, 19, may be separated as by a plate 20.

its will be evident from the arrangement of the supporting and operative parts for the inking-pad and the relation oil said pad "with the ribbon spool, the inking-pad will continue to maintain a position whereby it can continue to have contacting relation with the ribbon upon the spool through the varying degrees of diameter which the rib bon has, as a roll upon the spool, as said ribbon becomes wound and unwound thereon, to be thus operative under all conditions ol ribbon teed.

Whether the term in which my invention is employed requires the use or an inking means, or a moistening means without coloring matter, it will be appreciated that in either instance the etlect produced will be that of revivifying the ribbon, which efiect enables the ribbon to produce the desired clear and uniform type impressions.

lWhile l have illustrated my ribbon inking means in conjunction with a typewriting machine, it is evident that the principle of invention herein involved is equally appli cable to other machines employing character types to make impressions, through an ink ribbon, upon a Work sheet; such for enample as adding machines, addressing machines, stock tickers, and the like, all of which I consider, in so far as my invention is concerned, to come under the general term of typewriting machine.

1. in a typewriting machine, having keys, ribbon, means for moving said ribbon, an ink supply, and means for imparting ink lrom said supply to said ribbon by the operation of the keys.

2. In a typewriting machine, having a ribbon support, a ribbon thereon, and means :tor feeding the ribbon across the printing point, the combination of a source 0t ink supply, and means controlled by the operation of the machine for intermittently communicating ink from said supply to said ribbon during the feeding movement of the latter.

8. in a typewriting machine, having a ribbon support, a ribbon thereon, means for feeding the ribbon across the printing point, and a platen to support a work sheet and receive type impacts, the combination of a source of ink supply, and means controlled by the operation of the machine for inter mittently communicating ink from said sup ply to said ribbon during the feeding movement of the latter.

l. in a typewriting machine, having a ribbon, means tor moving said ribbon intermittently, an ink supply, and means controlled by the operation of the machine for intermittently imparting ink from said supply to said ribbon synchronously with the intermittent movements of the latter.

5. ln a typewriting machine, having a ribbon, means for moving said ribbon intermittently, an ink supply, means for communicating ink from said supply to said ribbon during the intermittent movements of the latter, and means for withholding the communication of ink from said supply to said ribbon when the latter is not in motion.

6. in a typewriting machine, having ribbon, means for moving said ribbon intermittently, an ink supply, means for pressing said ink supply into contact with said ribbon, to ink the latter, and means for releasing said ink supply from such contact.

7. in a typewriting machine, having a ribbon, means for moving said ribbon intermittently, a revoluble inking pad, means for pressing said pad in rolling Contact with said ribbon, to ink the latter, and means for releasing said pad from such contact when the ribbon is inactive.

8. In a typewriting machine, having a ribbon, means for moving said ribbon intermittently, a finger key to actuate said ribbon moving means, inking means, means for applying said inking means to said ribbon, means for normally holding said inking means away from said ribbon during the inactivity of the latter, and means actuated by said finger key, to release said holding means and thus permit the operation of said means for applying said inking means, in synchronism with the intermittent movement of said ribbon.

9. In a typewriting machine, having keys, an inking ribbon, means for moving said ribbon, ribbon revivifying means, and means for applying the revivifying means to the ribbon by the operation of the keys.

in testimony whereof, he has signed his name to this specification in the resence of two subscribing witnesses, this st day of June, 1917.

JAMES E. SIMPSON.

l/Vitnesses:

CnAnLns J. lannson. 'l. W. Lancaster. 

